5 Most Humble & Inspiring Start-up Business Stories

Every business has an inspiration story before it. Today, we are going to show you 5 of the most humble and inspiring business start-ups. Some of the stories even gave goose bumps to some of our colleagues. We hope you get the feeling as well.

Below, we’ve chosen businesses that have started from the very bottom, some with no technology involved and some with; so, if you’re looking for an inspiration or something to boost up your motivation, then keep reading!

1. Google: In 1995, Larry Page and Sergey Brin met at Stanford, where Sergey was giving Larry a college tour. The computer freaks started working together, and eventually started the first version of “Google”, which back then was called The students worked from garages for the next five years and then found huge success in it. At some point, they tried selling to Excite- but they were turned down. Eventually it all worked out great for Sergey and Larry in the end. You can view the entire history of Google here.

2. Pinterest: Ben Silbermann founded the pinterest app at age of 27. Ben Silbermann first started designing his own iPhone apps with one of his college friends, and then started to work at Google in the Sales organization. In one of his interviews with Start-up Grind, Silbermann discusses the early days of pinterest.

Here’s one great startup advice from Ben Silbermann: “Don’t take too much advice….Most people generalize whatever they did, and say that was the strategy that made it work…In reality, there’s very little way of knowing how various factors contributed to success or failure.

3. Dior: The legendary Christian was Dior born on January 21, 1905, in Granville- North of Paris. At an early age, Dior was passionate about art and was interested in becoming an architect. After Dior’s graduation, he opened an art gallery with the help of his father. In 1932 his adventure ended, but not for his taste for art. He was then taken by his friend Jean Ozenne, where he began his fashion designer career, and was very successful in selling his designs. He became a courtier at age of 42, where Dior would tirelessly construct his dresses like an architect, selected his colours like a painter and surrounded himself with those who would show his art in its best light – photographers.

Today, the history of Dior remains firmly related to the world of art: Since 2011, the itinerant exhibition “Lady Dior As Seen By” has given carte blanche to approximately 50 multimedia artists and photographers to reinterpret the iconic Lady Dior bag.

4. Instagram: Founded in 2010 by co-founder and CEO Kevin Systrom with his friend Mike Krieger, and only after 9 months from launching the app, it had over 7 million users. Kevin had always shown interest in social start-ups, he knew very well he wanted to create a business around social sharing and communication. It was only a humble vision back when they started, and it was simply to work with people with the same passion for mobile photography that Mike and he did.

Here’s an advice from Kevin to all future entrepreneurs: “If you’ve got an idea, start today. There’s no better time than now to get going. That doesn’t mean quit your job and jump into your idea 100% from day one, but there’s always small progress that can be made to start the movement. Instagram only launched nine months ago, but it’s taken over three years to get from the idea of starting something to today. It’s a long road, but well worth it.”

5. ZARA: Developed by Amencio Ortega in 1975. At age of 13, Ortega started working in a clothing shop in La Coruña, and at some point in his 20’s he started making women’s bathrobes along with his siblings and Rosalia Mera (whom he would later marry). From the beginning, “speed” was at the heart of the company’s philosophy, which helped in turning Zara, into the retail giant it is today.Today, Zara is known for its “Fast Fashion” approach to businesses, and launches about 12,000 new designs every year.

These people found success because they provided needs that weren’t being addressed, and had the skills to bring in the right solutions. So, if you have a feeling in your gut, follow it, design it, bring it to life, and it might turn out to be into the next big thing!!
It can only take one thing to push you down the road of success.